Adjustable fastener



Oct. 2, 1956 A. E. CARLILE 2,764,795

ADJUSTABLE FASTENER Filed Dec. 26. 1952 United States Patent 015.56 N

2,764,795 "iiatented Oct. 2, 1956 2,764,795 ADJUSTABLE FASTENER Alfred E. Carlile, Meadville, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania `Application December 26, 1952,`Sel"al No. `328,077 2 Claims. (Cl. 24j-206) This invention relates to an adjustable fastener ofthe type comprising a flexible track including a series of spaced-apart stops or the like supported in a flexible manner and having a cooperating slide member which is movable along the track and which is adapted to be locked selectively in various adjusted positions.

Hereintofore, various types of flexible tracks have been suggested for adjustable fasteners. Usually such a track consisted of a plurality of individual spaced-apart stops which were clamped, sewn or otherwise attached to a flexible supporting member such as a fabric `tape or the like. While such constructions were satisfactory in their use, they were oftentimes diiicult and expensive to manufacture. Usually, it was customary to cut the individual stops from a continuous length of wire, then form them and attach them to the flexible carrier.

Such stops were usually relatively small and oftentimes were difficult to s handle and apply to the flexible supporting member and usually required the necessity of expensive tools, dies and applying equipment.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable fastener which can be conveniently fabricated and assembled 'without the need of l expensive tools or other equipment.

lt is another object of this invention to provide an improved adjustable fastener which is strong and rugged in its construction and yet sufficiently ilexible soas to be eilicient and eifective in its use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an adjustable fastener which presents a neat and attractive appearance and which can be easily and conveniently applied to the article with which it is to be used.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the improved adjustable fastener of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4- is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the stop members of my improved adjustable fastener before it is attached to the tape; and

Fig. 6 is an end View thereof showing the form the stop takes after it is bent and clamped to the tape.

The adjustable fastener, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is of the general type illustrated in the patent to Noel Statham, No. 1,887,825, issued November 15, 1932, in that it comprises a track generally designated at 2, which is secured to the article or garment, for example, one end of a belt, and on which track thereis mounted a slider 3 for movement therealong which is secured to another part of the article or garment or to the other end of the belt, and which slider may be selectively adjusted longitudinally of the track and locked in any desired position therealong.

l Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved track, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a liexible supportingmember 4, preferably a fabric tape having web `portions 5 and 6 and a central beaded portion which is formed in any suitable manner and to which the stop members 8 are attached.

Each of these stop members 8 are `in the form of a staple, and as more clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, comprise an elongated central body portion 9 having a plurality of outwardly extending clamping portions 10 arranged to either side thereof so as to provide a plurality of spaced-apart notches therebetween 12 along the opposite longitudinal marginal edges of the stop member. These stop members are preferably made of iiat metallic stock which are initially formed, as shown in Fig. 5.

The stop members or staples 8 are attached to the central beaded portion 7 of the tape 4,.by the inturned clampingportionsil, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. lt will be understood that the clamping action of the stops is suiciently strong to prevent displacement of the stops along or from the central beaded portion of the tape when the device is in use. `In clamping the stop members to the central beaded portion 7, it will beseen that they are spaced from one another, as at 13, a distance substantially equal to the width of one of the notches 12y in the marginal edges of the stop members 8.

By providing such a construction, it will be seen that there is provided a series of stops disposed along the tape having a series `of notches, including the spaces between the stops, `spaced substantially equi-distant apart throughoutjlthe `length of the functional part of the fastener for thereception of thelocking projections of the pull member of the slider in a manner well-known to those skilled in the art.

Such a slider consists generally of a body portion 15 having marginal flanges 16 so as to provide a channeled body member having substantially C-shaped cross section. These flange portions 16 substantially conform to and it around the outer sides of the clamping portions lil of the stopsS so as to be guided therealong thereby. On the upper side of the body portion 15 there is provided a pair of upwardly extending ears or lug portions 17 to which there is pivotally attached by means of trunnion portions 18, a pull or actuating member 19. There is carried by this pull member 19 adjacent the pivotal portion thereof and extending substantially at right angles to the main body portion thereof, a pair of spaced-apart locking prongs or cams 20 which extend through a recess 21 arranged in the top of the body portion 15 of the slider and into the channel therein to cooperate with the notches 12 and 13 to lock the slider along the track. The body portion 15 of the slider terminates preferably in a relatively large loop 22 which is adapted to be attached to a portion of the material to be adjustably connected to the track and tape 4 in a well-known manner.

It will be understood that in the operation `of this fastener, the pull member 19 of the slider is raised from the positions shown in the drawings and actuated to move the slider along the track of stop members 8 to adjust the pieces of material of the garment or article with which the fastener is incorporated relative to each other. When the slider is moved to any selected position along the track the `pull member is then moved to its locked position substantially parallel to the track as shown in the drawings. In such position, it will be seen that the locking prongs 2li will be disposed in either the notches 12 or 13, depending 3 on the adjusted position, thereby locking the slider against unintentional movement along the track.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided a new and novel adjustable fastener which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and assembly and one which is much stronger and more rugged than any such type of fastener heretofore suggested and used. It will be seen that the stop members are of such size and construction that they can be easily hoppered or otherwise handled for attachment to the exible support or tape by means of conventional equipment Without the need of designing and employing special and expensive equipment.

While I have shown and described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and descripton, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an adjustable fastener of the class described, a flexible track comprising a flexible supporting member having a series of spaced-apart elongated stop members attached thereto, each of said stop members having a plurality of spaced-apart notches arranged along each of the marginal edges thereof, clamping portions carried thereby for attaching said members to the supporting member, said stop members being spaced from one another along said supporting member a distance substantially equal to the width of one of the notches therein, a slider arranged on said track for longitudinal movement therealong, said slider consisting of a body portion having marginal anges adapted to embrace the stop members and the clamping portions thereof, an actuating member pivotally connected at one end thereof to said body portion, a pair of spaced-apart locking prongs arranged on said actuating member adjacent the connected end, said prongs being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the central body portion of said stop members and adapted to engage selectively either in the notches along the marginal edges of the stop members or in the space between said stop members so as to lock the slider against unintentional movement along said track.

2. In an adjustable fastener of the class described, a exible track comprising a exible supporting member having a series of spaced-apart stop members attached thereto, each of said stop members comprising an elongated member having a plurality of spaced-apart inwardly extending clamping portions arranged along the opposite marginal edges thereof so as to provide a plurality of spaced-apart notches along the edges of said member, said members being attached to said exible supporting member by said clamping portions, said members being spaced from one another along said flexible supporting member a distance substantially equal to the Width of one of said notches, a slider arranged on said track for longitudinal movement therealong, said slider consisting of a body portion having marginal flanges adapted to embrace the stop members and the clamping portions thereof, an actuating member pivotally connected at one end thereof to said body portion, a pair of spaced-apart locking prongs arranged on said actuating member adjacent the connected end, said prongs being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the central body portion of said stop members and adapted to engage selectively either in the notches between the clamping portions of the stop members or in the space between said stop members so as to lock the slider against unintentional movement along said track.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,356 Statham Oct. 30, 1934 460,304 Borresen Sept. 29, 1891 1,887,825 Statham n Nov. 15, 1932 2,282,410 Roseman May 12, 1942 2,559,883 Legat July 10, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,955 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1903 

